Xenia: (Eos) The Cabin in the Silver Birches

[AndromacheNY]

"Snip"

AElfgivu was running, skimming across the land with a freedom she had not felt in years. The dancing flashes of orange wings surrounded her, leading her in the right direction. When was the last time she danced with butterflies?

The brook came soon and the scent of plants mingled in the air as the elf continued on, slowing only when the circle of birches came into view.  It would not do to be running into the home of a person you did not know claiming you were there to help.  Stopping at the edge of the circle AElf smoothed her hair back the best she could after the run, took a deep calming breath and enter the ring of trees, slowly approaching the cabin.   The lightfoot stopped in a spot that made conversation comfortable, but was far enough not to invade, and against most lightfoot tradition was completely in the open.

“Hello? Anyone there?” she called out to the cabin.

[Des]

Des can hear the voice calling to her. She opens her lips to scream but a small squeak leaves her lips as she clutches her sides. Painful memories continue washing over her.

      He stood over her. Pacing back and forth. His long grey hair tied back in a modest braid. She sat there watching him. Knowing she’ll be punished for what she did. He was the High Lourd of the Silver Lakes. He controlled every trade and law that passed over the land. How could he not be able to control his oldest daughter? It was killing her that he was just pacing and not speaking.
       “Father, I can explain.” She spoke.
       “Maria. It was written in the stars that you were meant for great things. Unimaginative things. How could you do this to your country?” The tone he spoke with wasn’t anger, it was disappointment.  “How could you do this to me?”
       “Father.” She paused looking at him. Waiting for him to look at her. “These great things you speak of me doing, how do you not know that they’re so great because I’ve done something no High Lourd has done before? By learning the ways of the people we rule, I will be a better ruler. I will know how they think and understand how the laws affect them.” He still looked away from her as he paced. Des looked at the floor where her father was walking. Circles and waves of gold tread trace over a forest green rug.
       “How could you do this to me?” He finally looked up at her. His little girl. The girl that he brought into the world and took every pride in. The little girl who stood next to him, learning about the difficulties of the world at a young age.    
       “Father.” She looked into her fathers green eyes. The eyes that have always been so strong and had shead a tear, for the first time in her life were crying. “I…” There was no way for Des to Justify what she and the witches did in the forest that night.
       “Explain to me what happened.”
       “Eostara had been teaching me the ways of Magick.  At first it was herbal remedies and teas. Small things. Slowly as we began to trust each other, she taught me more of the craft. Little things. Then she said I was ready.”
       “Ready for what?”
       “A naming ceremony.”
       “You have a name. you are named for my mother, her mother and her mothers mother. You are named after strong women. Why would you need to go through this.”
       “I wanted to understand what happened on our world.”
       “You of all people should know what happens on this world. You brush elbows with kings and Lourds on a weekly basis. You know the policy’s that are made before they are written down on paper.”
       “That’s not real world father. Have you seen the conditions people live in. The conditions that we leave people in. Where do we have the right to live in a house with dozens of rooms I have never been into in the twenty tuns I’ve lived here.” She stood up and walked over to her father. “We live in a palace while people live in thatched huts made of boxes and pieces of tree. There are people out there freezing while you stay warm.”
       “That’s enough.” Her father clenched his teeth.
       “Father your not listening to me. You are staying in your…”
       “I said that’s enough.” He yelled. “and sit down.” She sat like a trained dog.  “Maria, Leave this palace, Return when you understand what privilege you had. See how you can survive.” He took a handkerchief out of his pocket whipping tears from his eyes. “Leave this place and do not contact your two sisters or your two brothers or your mother. Until you can return and take your place as the next High Lourd, you are not welcome in this place of honor.”
       Des sat there, trying to decide if there was anything she could say.
       “Maria know this. When you decide to return you will have no help finding a suiter, you will have no help taking care of your position. You will have no help from your friends and family in regards to your job, or where you are to live. You will find no help from me.”
       “Father. If you are to give me no help, then so be it. And if that is the case, Call me by my name.”
       “Maria.”
       “No… My name, Des.” She walked out of the room and out of her father’s life.

   Des cried out for her father to help her, knowing he would never come to her aid again. Her screams turned to sobs lightly hoping her father would come in and hold her.

[AElf]

She heard a chocked back wail, causing AElf to take an instinctive step towards the entrance of the cabin, before she stopped herself.  People could be very touchy on what they consider privacy and the invasion of it, and she did not want to barge in only to make matters worse.  Then her sensitive ears twitched as the sound of sobbing. 

That made up her mind, and the elf crossed the threshold into the structure.  After all the Trees ~did~ ask her to help. The crying led the lightfoot to its source, a young woman holding herself as she shed tears, looking so lost in the world.  AElfgivu did the only thing she could think of – moving to the female’s side, she reached out and gathered the young woman in her arms, holding the weeping lady and letting the tears fall as they may.

[Des]

between sobs and tears Des choked out the worlds. Make. Them. Stop. she clung onto the women as if she was trying to hang on to some sanity. tears have clouded her vision and she could bearly make out who was holding her. All Des could make out was pointy ears and the sensation of arms wrapped around her.

[AElf]

One of AElf’s hands began rubbing the woman’s back in a rhythmic soothing manner, a maternal like instinct, as she continued to hold her

   “Make who stop?” came the soft calm question.

[Des]

Des started to breath a little less franticly as she began to calm down. "The memories. They won't stop." She began whipping away tears as she took a better look at the woman coming to her aid.


(OCC: just to let you know. I'm horrible with getting back to you in a speedy time on account of I am over involved and a very busy student)

[AElf]

“Memories are one thing I cannot stop” Came the reply form the woman beside her. 
Fair skin and of slight build; AElf offers Des a small smile of encouragement, which reaches her blue eyes. With an elegant gesture of long habit the elf brushes back a lock of long golden brown hair, tucking it neatly behind a delicately pointed ear.  “After all Memories are a part of who we are. Without them we would not be us.” A small frown touches the lightfoot’s lips  “That did not make much sense did it?” and then an almost shy smile of introduction  “I’m AElfgivu, most everyone here calls me AElf though. I apologize if I am intruding but… the trees said you needed help.”

[Des]

"My names Des." She replied shaking the last tears from her eyes. "Nature is never afraid of sending help the way its needed even if help is something that can't be given." Des thought about the phrasing of that for a moment. "guess i'm not making much sense either." she smiled. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

[AElf]

"Tea would be wonderful, thank you."

[Des]

Des moved to the kitchen area and began fixing an herbal tea. She combined tea leaves as well as a few herbs she found growing in the area of her cabin together into two tea balls and set them into the highly ornate tea pot before pouring hot water into it. She then fetched a small jar of honey and two spoons from her cabinets. "How did you come to the nexus if you mind me asking?" Des asked as she brought a tray with two tea cups, the honey, spoons and tea pot to the sitting area.


(OCC: SORRY for such a long response time. school is killing me!)

[AElf]

“I just appeared.” The elf answered as she took a seat waiting for the tea to steep “At the beginning of ‘conscious’ nexal history; what is now referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ I believe.  It was the same time Lovious and Bron came here if that helps.”  A little sigh escapes “Anyway the Nexus was a better place then where I was so I sorta stayed   …in-between long bouts of Journeying.”

[Des]

"I have only been here for a short time, so i don't quite know about the different ages of the nexus. its all a blur to me." Des said pouring the steaming water into the tea cups. "I've heard handfuls of Mr. Lovious's stories of the past, but I do not have a sense of the time period."

[AElf]

“I suppose it was and is like any other time period. There were good times and then the not so good times. It’s all relative to ones perception.  So, what of you? Do you know how you came into the nexus and Avatarness?”

[Des]

"I remember being in the woods, collecting wood for Eostara, my teacher. she was going to be teaching of healing herbs. I tripped and landed in the bizzare next to a nice avatar, i believe his name was Mr. Stran Tannish. He was slightly surprised at my random appearing next to him."

[AElf]

“I suppose he would be at that.” The lightfoot smiles at the image of a sudden ‘pop in’ “So no amnesia in the coming?  Nice to know I am not alone in that trait.”